During my trip to Europe in September, after attending the Color Analysis conference in Portugal, I had the opportunity to visit two more fashion-related museums, besides the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum in Spain, which I talked about in this post.
Christian Dior's Childhood Home in Normandy
The first stop was the Musée Christian Dior in Granville, Normandy, located in the designer's childhood home. It's a beautiful house overlooking the sea, surrounded by a stunning garden.
By the way, this is not the house we saw in the TV series The New Look. The Dior family moved to that other house years later.
The exhibition, À la recherche des couleurs de l'enfance (Memories of Childhood), explores how Christian Dior's childhood memories influenced his creative choices throughout his career.
We learn about his favorite colors, pink and gray, his taste for beachwear, and his love for English patterns, influenced by the proximity of his hometown to England.
What I found especially interesting was seeing how these influences continued to appear in the collections created by the designers who succeeded him at the Maison Dior, from Yves Saint Laurent to the current creative director, Jonathan Anderson.
40 Years of Fashion at the Museum in Paris
Later, in Paris, I visited Look! 40 Ans de Mode au Musée (Look! 40 Years of Fashion at the Museum), an exhibition celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Musée des Arts de la Mode.
The exhibition brings together iconic outfits selected from different years of the museum's history.
But it goes beyond the finished clothes. We can also see different stages of the creative process at French fashion houses, from the development of a design to the beautiful embroidery techniques and fashion photography.
It's fascinating to see how many different talents and skills come together to create a single piece of clothing.
Inspiration Beyond the Clothes
All three exhibitions were inspiring to me, both personally and professionally.
After almost 20 years working as a stylist, I still find so much inspiration in learning about fashion history, understanding the designers' creative processes, and seeing how art, culture, and personal experiences influence the clothes we wear.
These visits also remind me that fashion is much more than trends. There are stories, memories, creativity, and craftsmanship behind the clothes.
And that's something I love bringing into my work: helping women understand not only what looks good on them, but also how their clothes can express who they are.
Hi, I’m Marcia Crivorot, a Personal Stylist based in NY. Once a month, I send newsletters featuring style tips, recommended brands, and a shopping guide. Unlock previous editions of my newsletters and receive my emails firsthand by subscribing.
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